Even if
by Flickering Ember
Summary: 'Darling, forever is a long, long time, and time has a way of changing things.'


**AN: I was rewatching the Fox and the Hound on my old VHS player... And this happened.**

** I don't own the Fox and the Hound, that right belongs to Disney.**

** Also, minor alternate ending. You'll see.**

* * *

><p>When I saw Copper again after all those months – I couldn't even think. I just saw him, and it's like the world froze. I thought I was seeing things. Do you blame me? He was gone for so, so long, and I'd seen Copper sometimes before then. He would be tied up to his barrel, with old Chief sleeping next to him, and then I'd run over – and poof. He was gone. Or, sometimes, I'd see the hound waiting to play in the woods, and he'd turn and run, but I'd never see him again.<p>

So when I finally saw Copper again… Yeah, it was like the world froze. I don't even know what was going through my head when I started running towards him – but his eyes were so different. I don't know how else to put it. When he walked in with old Chief and that nasty hunter Slade, he looked so happy and proud of himself, but the furs, I saw them. The way he looked at them, so confidently and cheerfully. I saw the fox furs, I knew. I knew he'd helped get them dead, but it was still Copper – that's what I told myself, during that short terror – it was still Copper, and we'd be friends forever. That's what we promised. Friends forever.

But… But he didn't think so. I asked if we were still friends, and what did he tell me?

'Todd… Those days are over. I'm a hunting dog now.'

If that didn't hurt, I don't know what would. I thought my heart had been ripped right out of me, and I remember wondering if that was what those other animals felt when Slade skinned them. It hurt, and it hurt a lot. I backed off though, didn't press it, even if I hated it, and Copper – well, he didn't even look at me straight. Then there was the thing with Chief, and I tried to explain it, but Copper wouldn't hear of it. He told me he'd get me, and I believed him.

Big Mama was wrong.

Forever isn't a long time at all.

Then Mama Widow took me out to the woods and took off my collar, left me there. That hurt too, that hurt a lot. More than when Copper said we weren't friends anymore, more than when he told me he'd get me. I knew how to keep myself safe and alive, sure. I had to know. But… That doesn't mean it hurt any less, to see her drive away in that rickety old car. I tried not to cry, I really did, but all that in just a month? I couldn't manage it. And then the storm happened, and everything went downhill from there.

I met Vixie, and I did like her, but she was… She was either distant, or coy. Never said a word of affection that she didn't take back an hour later, never once whispered 'I love you'. But I didn't mind much. She was wild, born and raised. I was tame, raised to be affectionate and loving. I didn't know how the wild worked, so who was I to say anything against her? Besides, I was affectionate enough for the both of us. It worked, and I kept at it, even if I didn't really like it when she left for those long stretches of time.

Vixie and I eventually became mates, and we made a place to live. It was a good, safe den, built well courtesy of myself. Then… Well, the hunting thing happened. I don't know how or why or even what I was thinking, but it was like so long ago, when Copper came back from his hunting trip and I was seeing him again. My heart stopped. I forgot about Vixie and Slade and Chief. I was so happy to see him again – and when his stare dropped, he was glaring and snarling and filled with hate. And I returned it, because Vixie was there and I had to protect her.

Slade started the fire, and we ran. I can't even explain what I felt, when I had Copper after me. I don't know how, but it was almost as bad as when Mama Widow left me, or when Big Mama suddenly stopped appearing. The fear kept that away though, and the hate that had grown over the months, and I just kept running and helping Vixie run. When we were scaling the mountain, and I looked back and saw Copper climbing right up after us, I remember thinking –

_All because of me._

Then the bear appeared and attacked Copper. My hate and fear left me in a whoosh. I admit, I didn't want to help Copper at first. He was out to kill me. He wanted me dead, and I had a good opportunity to get away. I don't know why, but for some reason, I remembered something -

_And we'll always be friends forever, won't we?_

_Yeah, forever._

Even if he hated me.

_I ran towards him and the bear._

Even if he attacked me.

_I pounce on the black behemoth._

Even if he wanted nothing more than to kill me.

_I drew it away from him._

I still thought of us as friends.

_Over the wooden bridge – then down the falls. I hit the water, the land beneath it, washed up on the shore._

Because, even if he forgot…

_Amos Slade levelled the gun at me, and I stared at him, pleading. I didn't even care anymore, I wanted death._

I remembered our promise.

_A bang rang out in the still air._

Friends forever.

_Copper ran up to us. He looked mortified. I wasn't dead yet. Slade hadn't shot me anywhere vital, but he thought he had. The hunter was walking away and whistling for Chief, something he would never do unless he thought his prey was dead. I almost was. The world was tilting, twisting, and darkening. Copper didn't say anything, just stared with that broken, confused expression. I smiled at him._

"_Friends keep each other safe. And we're friends… Forever. Right, Copper?" I told him. It was hard, talking, but I did it. This was Copper, after all. I had to be strong._

_That was the first time I'd ever seen him cry, and the last time I would ever hear him say,_

"_Yeah, Todd. Forever."_

_I smiled wider, let my eyes slip shut. It was hard to breath._

_"Good."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I don't know if this truly counts as tragedy, but I teared up at the end. Anyway, for those of you that didn't catch the alternate ending part -<strong>

**Amos Slade, having found Todd on the river bank, shoots him, but misses any vital organs (as stated so kindly by Todd). Slade wanders off to find Chief as Copper shows up, believing Todd to be dead. He's not, unfortunately, has the prior conversation with Copper... Then drifts off to 'sleep', dying not long after.**

**... Yup. Okay. I'm gonna go curl up and rewatch Fox and the Hound (again). Read and review, if you please, and...**

**I'll see you on the flipside~**

** - Ember**

P.S. That see you on the flipside thing is kind of dark after someone dies... Oopsies...


End file.
